London, revisited

So after a restful train ride back into London, I drop my bag and hit the streets. The subway line I wanted to take to Buckingham Palace is down so I took another route and got off at Piccadilly Circus. This place was indeed a circus! Crazy amounts of people. I took some pictures and then headed for Trafalgar Square. I saw St. James park and fell in love with this place, it was beautiful and people were lounging on chairs and oversized bean bags. The sun was coming out and it was a great night to be in the park. I made it to Buckingham Palace then back through the park to see Big Ben, Parliament and Westminster Abbey. The Abbey was closed but I went in 2 days later and had a celebrity sighting. The night was young so I took a riverboat tour of the Thames and saw London from a different perspective.

London from the Thames River

The next day I headed to Windsor castle at the advice of my friend Scott. It is the largest castle in the UK and where the Queen lives most weekends. A tour of the State Apartments shows you all of the rooms they use in public ceremonies, knightings and where the Queen receives important guests. Windsor is its own town with lots of shops and restaurants. I wonder what the Queen thinks of all these people buzzing around her house all the time?

Tourists outside Windsor Castle

The next morning I had a few hours before my train to Paris so I went to see the inside of Westminister Abbey. This is where every king and queen has been crowned since forever. They all sat on the same chair, used only in coronations. The last time it was used was 61 years ago to the day that I was there on June 2. There are also a lot of kings, queens, scientists and artists buried here. My celebrity sighting was Seth Green. He was getting a tour with his wife. I can’t take pictures in the Abbey or I probably would have snapped one 🙂